The Perfect Way
by JupiterHalo
Summary: Jean wants to find the perfect way to say 'I love you.' Scott Summers x Jean Grey pairing.


Hey everyone! How's the new year going for you all? Isn't it exciting to be in 2004? ^.^; Anywho, this little story popped into my head after reading "The Dark Highlander" by Karen Marie Moning. Please enjoy! As always, e-mail me if you want to chat. I'm at JupiterHalo21@cs.com if you ever feel like talking! Thanks!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own "X-Men: Evolution," so please don't sue me. I also don't own "The Dark Highlander," which was an inspiration for this fic.  
  
Title: The Perfect Way  
  
Author: JupiterHalo  
  
Rating: G  
  
Part: 1/1  
  
Date completed: January 3, 2004  
  
'words in here' mean thoughts  
  
"We are unable to turn back the hands of time. So, please, allow me to embrace you like this once more..." ~Kikyo, "Inu-Yasha"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Hey." Jean looked up at Scott, standing in the doorframe of her room.  
  
"Hey, yourself," she replied, giving him an easy smile, or what she hoped was an easy smile. 'Please don't let him see how nervous I actually am!'   
  
"How are you doing?" Scott sat down on her bed. Jean turned around in her chair at her desk, where her Math homework sat, untouched.   
  
"Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" In obvious reference to the wounds he suffered in Mexico, Jean sat down next to him. "How are you doing, Scott?"  
  
Since they had gotten back from Mexico, both of them had been avoiding each other. Jean had made sure that if Scott was in the kitchen, she was someplace else. This was the first time they had really chatted in a couple of days.  
  
"I've been worse." Scott looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Hey, Jean. Why do I get the feeling that you've been avoiding me recently?"  
  
'Sigh. Why does Scott always have to be so straightforward?' Jean blushed, a little embarrassed. "I haven't been avoiding you." An obvious lie. "I've just been busy with school, and training, and-"  
  
"Yeah, I know that." Scott smiled down at her. "Well, if that's the case, how about taking a break right now and go out with me?"  
  
"W-what?" All Jean's mind could think was 'He wants to go out with me?!'   
  
"Yeah. You know, spend some time together… like we used to. How about a movie and dinner? It's a Friday, so you can spare a few hours to hang out with your best friend, can't you?"  
  
He said it lightly, but there was an underlying emotion to his last sentence. Jean knew that she had been neglecting Scott lately, especially after what had happened between them.  
  
"Of course I can go! What movie?" Jean smiled reassuringly at him, and began to make their plans.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Of course, the only movie they could agree upon was the new slasher flick. And the term agreeing was used very lightly.   
  
They had bought a large popcorn to share, since that was all they could afford. Whenever Jean went to take a handful, Scott acted like her hand was on fire and would jerk his hand away if her hand touched his at any time.   
  
He would always mumble a "sorry," then pay immaculate attention to the movie.  
  
Jean was getting frustrated with this- was what they shared together in Mexico just a dream? Was this the same Scott who told her that he only had one wish- to open up his eyes and see her face?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"God! Why do guys always have to be so bipolar?" Jean grumbled to herself the next day at school, walking through the halls.  
  
"Date didn't go well?" Kitty came up alongside Jean and began walking with her, towards the lunch room.  
  
"No! First, he was really sweet, telling me that he'd go buy the popcorn and tickets. But then, during the movie, if I ever so much as touched his hand, he would act like I had a disease!"   
  
"Awww, don't be so hard on him. You know how Scott is- he's not very good at dealing with these kinds of things. He just takes a while to say how he feels. You may have to tell him, first."  
  
"You really think so?" Jean looked dubious at the idea. "I'm not sure if I would know how to say it. I mean, you can't just sloppily say it and then walk away, can you?"  
  
"No, but I've heard about this thing that a lot of people do. I think it's called positive reinforcement. They just stand in front of a mirror and tell themselves that they're beautiful and powerful and stuff. It may just work for you and Scott. If you really want to go for it, practice saying "I love you" in the mirror."  
  
"I don't know… I'm not very good at these things, either." Jean sighed. "I've actually had a lot of mixed emotions about this whole thing. I don't want to ruin my friendship with Scott."  
  
Kitty grinned. "Hey, you only live once, right? I would go for it- everything will be okay in the end."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jean stood in front of the mirror in her room. "God, do I feel like a loser!" After much debate, she had decided to try out Kitty's idea. But she never thought that it would be so embarrassing.  
  
"I love you." She tried to say it in a deep, sultry voice, then shuddered. "Okay, maybe that's not such a good idea."  
  
"I love you" in a perky voice didn't work, either. Neither did exultant, squeaky, or intense.  
  
"Hmmm, maybe I should just say it in a normal voice?" She glanced at herself in the mirror, then began to speak again.  
  
"I love you. I love you more than the world itself. I love you more than being an X-Man, or music, or poetry. You mean the world to me."  
  
"Isn't that the reason why you have that thing hung up in your room?"  
  
Jean froze at the sound of Scott's voice. "What are you doing here?! Don't you ever knock?!"  
  
Scott looked taken aback. "Uh… sorry? It's just that you've never minded me barging in before…"  
  
"Well, I do now! So, I'd appreciate it if you stopped making fun of me!" Jean realized what an idiot she must have sounded like, and tears began to well up in her eyes. "How long have you been there, anyhow?!"  
  
"Well, I've heard almost all of your declarations of love to your mirror. So, long enough, I guess. Jean, are you okay? Tell me what's wrong." Scott, seeing the tears, began to look panicked.   
  
"I LOVE YOU, ALL RIGHT?" Jean, embarrassed, began to yell at him. "I was trying to tell you in just the right way, and you ruined it!" She began to really cry, and shoved Scott out of the way as she ran out of her room to the garden. Her only safe haven.  
  
Scott watched her go, in shock. She… loved him? He stood there for a few seconds, too stunned to move. Then, seeing her run down the hall, he called out to her. "Jean, wait!"  
  
Jean heard the sound of footsteps coming after her, and only began to run faster. 'He must think I'm a total nutcase now… I don't see how he'd ever want to go out with me.'  
  
A hand grabbed her arm and spun her around. Scott pulled her into a hug, laughing.   
  
She reluctantly hugged him back, but was a bit peeved. "I don't know what's so funny about it."  
  
"I'm sorry! It's just that… I think that memory will be one of the highlights of my life. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget it."  
  
Jean stared up at him, dumbstruck. "What… what are you trying to say?"  
  
He ginned down at her, and kissed her forehead. "Jean, I love you, too."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Okay, what do you think? I just thought it would be nice to see how they got together after "Blind Alley." Please send me your comments, good or bad. I really do appreciate them.   
  
Blessed Be,  
  
~JupiterHalo~ 


End file.
